Team STS Begin Elephant Re-collaring Project
Thanks to your support, #teamsts and partners will deploy a number of satellite collars in Limpopo National Park. This will assist security and law enforcement operations. This is because we can monitor the Elephants movements and intervene when they are heading into well known poaching areas.
The Elephant re-collaring project will also help to mitigate the Human-Elephant conflict. This is due again because we can track the Elephants movements and inform local communities when Elephants are heading in their direction. Elephants have been known to cause significant damage to agricultural crops, effecting peoples livelihoods and lives. Similarly, in some cases Elephants have caused significant damage to properties and in rare cases caused loss of Human life. In these instances, local communities usually retaliate by killing the Elephant. Therefore, it is imperative that we can intervene before conflicts arise, saving both Human and Elephant lives.
By monitoring Elephants movements, it will also provide critical information on habitat connectivity between protected areas, as we can track migration paths.
We will update you on the progress of field activities throughout the Elephant re-collaring operation.
Why are Elephants important?
Elephants are reffered to as ecosystem engineers. This is beacuse they play a crucial role managing their ecosystems. For example, during the dry season, Elephants use their tusks to dig dry riverbeds creating watering holes. This not only benefits Elephants but all other species which need access to water.
Forest Elephant in particular play a key role in keeping making pathways through forests. This allows other species to thrive in these environments.
Elephants also play a crucial role in climate change. This is because they help to disperse seeds over large areas which later grow into trees. This helps to maintain a healthy ecosystem.